Spontaneity
by walked-into-the-sky
Summary: A compromise. Dasey.


Bored. Has writer's block. In a Dasey mood. So yeah, read and review.

Disclaimer: I do not own Life With Derek.

_Spontaneity_

So they're standing in the middle of the meat section at the corner super market and, as per usual, Derek's being an ass.

"No."

Now, since the beginning of their romantic relationship ten months ago (all one night stands before this not included), he's been making a real effort to be more indulgent to her more inane desires. Of course, this meant he lets her play her classical music (really, the fact that he hadn't known the difference between Mozart and Debussy had been very upsetting) and tolerates the light blue comforter on their bed. He will not, however, share in her diets (the tofu, according to him, had been nothing short of insane) or go to her stupid, partner yoga class (he'd slept on the couch for a week). And normally, Casey's (sort of) okay with all this. Because it's part of the attraction, part of what makes them so good together. (And the sex after these meaningless little fights is so worth it.)

But this. This is just too much.

"_Derek,_" she hisses, trying to ignore the little girl who's staring at them from her mother's arms with intense interest, "This is the first time we're entertaining mom and George as a couple. We have to make this dinner good!"

It had been her idea to let their parents know about their affair after it became obvious that things had the potential to go far between them. After seven months, she'd gotten tired of sneaking around whenever George and Nora were around and, despite Derek's protests (although, she's got this theory that he manipulated her into doing the actually telling), she'd sat them down one evening and told them, "Derek and I are dating. Just so you know." George had nearly fainted. Nora had folded her arms, stared at them hard, and told them she already knew (mother always knows and all that nonsense).

Derek still thinks it went badly. Casey's convinced it could have been so much worse. And at least they hadn't forbidden them from seeing each other or something equally awful.

Derek folds his arms and snorts, "And _pork_ is going to do that, Case?" he shakes his head and picks up the enormous cut of steak he'd brought to her ten minutes ago to wave it in her face (hard to believe he's almost twenty eight, huh?), "_Steak_. It's the only option."

"You're being ridiculous," Casey knows he's baiting her, it's what he _does_, after all, but even after all these years she can't help but rise to it. She picks up her own cut of pork and shoves it up against his nose, aware of how unsanitary it is and not really caring (she can get away with this because he did it first, after all), "_Pork_, Derek!"

"_Steak_, Casey!"

The little girl giggles and both Casey and Derek turn their heads to stare at her. It's only then that Casey how comical they must look, each holding a large piece of meat in the other's face, shouting about which would be better for their circumstances, once again completely oblivious to the fact that they are, in fact, in public. Though, she can't say she's surprised it's gotten so far. They had a tendency to forget that they weren't arguing in private when they fought (mostly because fighting usually lead to sex in their house).

Derek smiles at the girl and, to Casey's surprise, drops the steak into a pile of bacon packages.

"How about a compromise?" he asks and Casey, blinking, opens her mouth to flatly refuse sexual favors in exchange for pork for dinner, only to be cut off. But not by anything her step brother turned boyfriend says. By what he does.

She's sure she's hallucinating. Because that is the _only _possible explanation for why Derek's getting down on one knee in the middle of the meat section at that little corner super market and reaching into his coat pocket (unless he's about to shine her shoes, like that one time before Emily's wedding, though this hardly seems the time and she's wearing sneakers.)

"I'll agree with pork for George and Nora," Derek pulls out this little black box and she nearly drops the pork, but manages to rest it on the edge of the meat shelves before it slips out of her hands. It tumbles into a pile of turkey breast and Derek's holding it up to her and staring up at her like she's the only thing in his world or something and she's pretty sure her throat's closed, because she can't breathe (and her heart is pounding in her ears.)

The box opens. (It's simple, she sees immediately, and she remembers a conversation she'd had with him three months ago, about how she, contrary to popular belief, doesn't want an extravagant wedding. She'd told him she wants simplicity, right down to her engagement ring.)

"But only if you'll marry me."

She knows she's grinning like an idiot, but she manages to shove his shoulder anyways (there are expectations, you know), "You're proposing to me in a super market meat section?"

Derek grins, "Did you really expect anything less?"

A shrill giggle escapes her and she throws her arms around his neck, sending them both sprawling backwards against their carriage, pushing it a few feet forward into the little girl's mother (she stumbles and curses). Casey doesn't care though, because they're kissing and Derek's slipping a ring on her finger and, unless she's hearing things, there are people applauding around them.

"So," Derek breaks the kiss and stands, pulling her to her feet along with him, "Pork?"

"Yeah," she picks up the meat and tosses it into the carriage, "Pork."

--

Later at dinner: "Casey and I are engaged," Derek says, grinning and tossing an arm around Casey's shoulder, "Just so you know."

Nora actually does faint. George chokes on his pork.

(Could've been worse.)


End file.
